Kitchen-cabinet



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J'. n T. V. RANKIN. KITCHEN CANNET.

No, 446,647. Patented Feb. 17, 1891.

(No Model.) A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

5.185 T. V.' RANKTN.

KITCHEN CABINET.

Patented Peb. 17, 1891.

n-n l TTED STATES PATENT i JOHN RANKIN AND THOMAS V. RANKIN, 0F VILLIAMSDALE, OHIO.

KITCHEN-CABINET.

SPECIFICATION 'Olmng part 0f Letters Patent No. 446,647, dated February 17, 1891.

Application filed May 12, 1890 Serial No. 351,435. (No model.)

To @ZZ wiz/0m t may con/cern,.-

Beit known that we, JOHN RANKIN and THOMAS V. RANKIN, both citizens of the United States, residing at lVilliamsdale, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kitchen-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in kitchen-cabinets having convenient compartments for ilour, meal, spices, and other material, together with receptacles for miscellaneous utensils used in cooking, all of which will be fullyhereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our invention, showing the parts closed; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the same, showing the parts open for use, the two lower drawers being partly broken to show the interior or drawer easement; Fig. 3, a sectional plan on line so, Fig. 5, with the bread-board and end table omitted; Fig. 4, a similar view to Fig. 3, but with said breadboard in place in its closed position and the said end table in place in its elevated position for use, the latter being shown broken off; Fig. 5, a sectional elevation on line 'y y of Figsfi and 4, but'ojf the entire cabinet, the bread-board being in its closed'p'osition and the folding lid or cover raised, with one leaf thereof standing upright, the same as in Fig. 2; Fig. G, an end view of the cabinet, showing the detachable end table in position for use; Fig. 7, a rear elevation of the cabinet and its end table; Fig. 8, a plan view of thel inner face of the said end table, showing the brace and other parts in the positions they assume when the table is detached from the cabinet and not in use 5 Fig. 9, a broken sectional inside elevation of the end table brace on line 1 1 of Fig. 10 to show the lock or latch device 5 Fig. 10, a broken front elevation of the brace shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 11, a broken sectional elevation on line 2 2 of Fig. 3, especially showing the adjustable guide for the bin-partition and .the movable full-length table to be used in place of the short bread-board shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 15; Fig. 12, a broken section of one end wall of the cabinet and end table, showing the socket and hinge device for detachably securing said table in place; Fig. 13, a broken vertical section of one of the ventilator-openings, taken on a line through its center; Fig. 14, a broken inside elevation of the ventilator-opening shown in Fig. 13; Fig. 15, a perspective view of the under side or bottom of the bread-board to show the pins or stops for adj ustably and detachably holding it in place; Fig. 1G, a perspective View of the grooved and notched supporting-strip for adjustably and detachably securing the said bread-board in place when in use, and Fig. 17 a perspective view of a full-length table or board to be used in place of the short breadboard shown in Figs. 2, 4t, and 15.

A and A represent the two end walls, and B and B the front and rear walls, respectively, of the cabinet. The upper front ends of the said end walls preferably retreat at an inclinat-ion up to a point about midway between the front and rear walls.

a a CL2 represent the several longitudinal divisions of the cabinet top or cover, all being preferably of an equal width and hinged together, so that when the movable inclined divisions or leaves a and ct', comprising the lid or fall proper, are folded upon the rigid horizontal division or top a2 neither will project outwardly from the other, thereby imparting a neat appearance to the cabinet. If desired, the vlid ct may stand upright, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, leaning against the wall, and the folded divisions a and a2, utilized as a `temporary shelf while the cabinet remains open. It is immaterial whether articles placed on said temporary shelf accidentally deface it or not, as it is the bottom of the leaf or division a that lies face upward, and when the fall orlid isclosed said bottom faces inwardly out of sight.

b b represent circular ventilator-openings in the end walls A A', and b a similar ventilator-openin g in the rear wall B. The bore of each ot' these openings is shouldered or made in two diameters, with the larger diameter on the inside, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 13, and are provided with tine wiregauze to prevent the entrance of vermin, insects, or any oating particles of foreign matter in the surrounding air.

The ventilators l) b are preferably con- IOO strueted near the top of the cabinet end walls, and the ventilator b at or near the center ot' the rear walls, as shown in Figs. f3, 3, 4, and 7, respectively, so that the current of fresh air iiowing through said ventilator Z1 will drive ahead of it the heated air or moisture within the cabinet through said openingsbb, especially when said cabinet contains hot bread, pies, or other articles of food on its shelves with the lid closed, as clearly indicated by the arrows in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4.

C represents a suitable board, upon which bread, pies, and other similar articles of food are prepared ready for cooking. c c are stops or pins on the bottom of board C at its rear edge, as shown in Figs. 5 and 15.

C is a longitudinal grooved strip or bar, spanning the chamber or opening formed by the said front, rear, and end walls, with its upper face lying in same plane as the upper edge of front wall B.

c c and c2 c2 represent two pairs of notches or openings constructed in the bar C', of a depth corresponding with the depth of the longitudinal groove therein, and sufficient to accommodate the pins c c on the bottom of breadboard..C. The notches c c are out in the front edge of said bar to the right, and those c2 c2 are cut in the rear edge of said bar to the left, thereby arranging them out of line, so that when the board C is to be used in the position shown in Fig. 2, the pins c c engage within the grooved bar at a point where the walls thereof are Solid.

When the board C is not in use and it is desired to close the cabinet, said board is slid to the left as far as it will go, thereby bringing the pins on its bottom in line with the notches c2 c2, and then it is pushed backward into the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When it is desired to remove the board from the cabinety for any purpose whatever, it is drawn outward from its last-stated position, then slid to the right as far as it will go, thereby bringing the said pins in line with the notches c c', and then drawn outward free from the groove-bar and the said cabinet en-v tirely.

D D D2 DS represent partitions dividing the said chamber, formed by the several walls of the cabinet into various independent comi partments or bins for containing flour, meal, sugar, and other desired materials used in cooking. The tops of partitions D D form suitable supports for the grooved bar C in- 'termediate its ends, thereby providing a firm rest or foundation for the rear end of the board O when it is used in the process of kneading dough or other similar operation requiring more or less pressure and rolling.

Partitions D2 D3 fit in grooved strips d, which are preferably secured in place on partitions D D and end wall A by means of screws d, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 5, and ll, so that they can be readily detached and reattached when it is desired to move said partitions either forward orbackward for the purpose' of enlarging or diminishing the sizes of the bins at pleasure.

E represents a long board the full length of the opening between the end walls AA', to be used instead of bread-board C when it is desired to cover the bins entirely or provide a table for various other purposes, as shown in Figs. 11 and 17.

e e are stops on the bottom of table E, set slightly forward from the rear edge thereof and abutting the strip C when said table is in place for use.

c e are horizontal strips on the inner faces of end walls A A', for supporting the opposite ends of table E.

e2 is a longitudinal horizontal bar or board arranged in the cabinet slightly above said grooved strip C', the space between it and said strip being suflicient to permit the free entrance and exit of either said bread-board C or table E, thus forming a guide or way therefor and firmly sustainin g either said board or table at its rear edge against tilting or moving upwardly.

c3 e3 are eccentrics mounted on the inner faces of the end walls A A', immediately above the ends of table E, and forming fastening buttons or stops for said table to prevent its outward or upward movement when in use. These eccentrics could also lbe used, in a limited manner, of course, in connection with the short bread-board C, when it is at either end of the cabinet, one only of such eccentrics then engaging the upper face of one end of said board, as shown in Fig. 5, Where the board is being held back in the cabinet by such engagement.

A case of drawers and shelves is arranged in the upper portion of the cabinet immediately above the bar or board c2 and the path of the bread-board.

F F represent two large drawers at the bottom of said case; ff', two shelves above the middle of said drawers F F, and G a vertical series of small drawers at each end ot' said shelves f j, above the end portions of said large drawers F F, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

H H represent two large drawers beneath the bins at the bottom of the cabinet, a partition h, forming the bottom of said bins, bcing immediately above said large drawers.

All the said drawers and shelves are provided for the usual purpose of containing and supporting the material and small utensils used in cooking.

In connection with the cabinet proper, which is principally designed to economize space in kitchens, (proverbially small,) we have provided a drop leaf or table I, hinged to either end wall thereof, and supported in a horizontal position for use, by means of an inclined standard or brace J, as shown in Figs. 2, 6, and 7. This drop-leaf is preferably connected with the end wall'A in a detachable manner, so that it can be readily removed or replaced at any time. We accom- IOO IIO

plish this feature by attaching socket-plates fr' t' on said end wall about mid-height, and iu- 4sei-ting in said sockets the free ends or leaves jj ot the hinges at the inner end of said dropleaf, as clearly shown in Fig. l2.

The brace or standard J is preferably a folding one, formed in two sections g and g g2, pivot-ally connected together, as shown in Figs. 2, G, 7, S, and 10, and the upper diverging ends of said section g g2 hinged to the bottom of said drop-leaf at its outer end. Section g of the standard J is a single bar, having a hinge gs at its lower end and pivotally connected near its upper end with the converging ends of the two inclined bars which constitute section g g2 ot' said standard. The free leaf of hinge g3 at the lower end of the standard is inserted in a socket g4 at the i'oot oi said end wall A, said socket being similar in construction to and provided for the same object as those 'L' i above described.

K represents a latch-bar triangular in crosssection and hinged at one end to brace-bar g of standard J, its other shouldered end engaging a slit or opening L in brace-bar g2, as very clearly shown in Fig. l0. Then the latch-bar K is in locking engagement with the bracebar g, it rests in a crotch or V-shaped notch at the upper end of said bar g and is held there against accidental displacement by a fiat spring gi 'on brace-bar g2, immediately above said slit or opening'L, as shown in Figs. 6, 8, 9, and l0.

In Fig. S we have shown the manner in which the brace or standard J is folded when the end Vtable I is disengaged from the cabinet, which is also the position the several parts of the standard assume when said table is dropped to the vertical position shown in Fig. l.

To unlock or raise the latch-bar K when it v is desired to lower the table or fold its jointed sectional brace, the lower free end ofthe flat spring g" is depressed, a suitable notch or depression g being provided in the face of bracebread-board may be moved both inwardly and outwardly and reciprocated longitudinally, and also iirmly held in its extended position for`u'se by means of said grooved bar C', which latter forms both a back-stop and support for the rear end of said bread-board, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a kitchen-cabinet, the combination of the frame A A B B', having a suitable top and bottom, bread-board C, having vertical pins c c, guide bar C', having the two pairs of transverse notches or passages c and c2, respectively, brace-bar e2, and vertical partitions l.) D D2 D3, dividing the chamber beneath said bread -board and bars into bins, substantially as herein set forth.

In a kitehencabinet, the combination, with the frame A A B B', having a suitable bottom and longitudinal vertically spaced bars C and c?, ot' a single horizontal strip e on each of the inner faces ot` the two end walls A A', and a lon inwardly and outwardly sliding covering board or table E, having stops e e on its bottom at its rear edge, substantially as herein set forth.

i. In a kitchen-cabinet, the combination, with frame A A B B', iaving a suitable bottoln, and guide and brace bars C and c2, ot' covering board or table E, having stops c e on its bottom, horizontal strips c' c on the inner faces of the end walls A A,and eocentrics'c3 on the said inner faces of said end walls, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with a kitchen-cabinet, of a detachable hinged drop-leat` I, hingesockets t' 1', folding brace or standard J, composed of two pivotally-connected sections g and g g2 and slning-controlled latch or lock K g5, and a hinge-socket g4, all the parts being arranged, constructed, and adapted to operate substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony of which invention we have hereunto set our hands.

J OI-IN RANKIN. rIIIOMAS V. RANKIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN JoNns, L. M. J oNns. 

